The present invention relates to an apparatus comprising an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, and particularly relates to a gas generating material for providing inflation gas for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
An inflator for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag, contains an ignitable gas generating material. The inflator further includes an igniter. The igniter is actuated so as to ignite the gas generating material when the vehicle experiences a collision for which inflation of the air bag is desired to help protect a vehicle occupant. As the gas generating material burns, it generates a volume of inflation gas. The inflation gas is directed into the air bag to inflate the air bag. When the air bag is inflated, it expands into the vehicle occupant compartment and helps to protect the vehicle occupant.
It is desirable that the gas generating material for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device meet a number of technical requirements. For instance, the gas generated by combustion of the gas generating material should be substantially free of toxic materials. It should also preferably be essentially smoke-free. The gas generating material must be chemically and physically stable over a wide temperature range, and should have ignition and combustion characteristics suitable for use with a vehicle occupant protection device.
The present invention is an apparatus comprising an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and a gas generating material that when ignited produces gas to inflate the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The gas generating material includes an inorganic salt oxidizer, a water soluble binder, and about 1 to about 10% of a supplemental fuel selected from the group consisting of 3,6-dihydrazino-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, 3,6-diamino-1,2,4,5-tetrazine-1,4-dioxide, 3,6-diamino-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, and combinations thereof.